Amazing Grace (Ephesians 2:1-10)

"We are safe because of His grace"
Corel Painter X3
© Karen Kyle Ericson, all rights reserved.

This section of Ephesians has one of our most favorite verses in the Bible:
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.
We don't understand the word, "grace" so much today.  It's funny my name, "Karen," means "grace." I am the most ungraceful lady you'll ever meet : )  In Webster's dictionary, "grace" also means unmerited divine assistance given humans, kindness, courtesy, temporary exemption.  I have definitely received some of God's grace, and lots of bruises on my legs and toes hahaha.  The opposite of grace is destruction. We should choose God's grace, definitely!

God didn't have to save us.  He could've just given up.  But He didn't.  That tells me that in spite of our sin, He's still leaving the light on for us to come home.  The only requirement is that we have faith in Him, accept His Son, "Jesus," speak to Him through prayer, and allow Him to help us change our ways.  

1 And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, 2 in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, 3 among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.
The prince of the power of the air is the devil. There's a million ways we can go the wrong way.  There's pride that makes us think we're better than other people.  There's drugs and alcohol.  Basically breaking the 10 commandments.  We've all sinned, no one is perfect.

4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
(Ephesians 2:1-10 NKJV)

Here's a great song from, Citizen Way "How Sweet the Sound" (link)

This is the traditional song by Celtic Woman "Amazing Grace" (link)